Cold shooting dooms Union Grove in 65-57 loss to Westosha
Union Grove High School battled back from an early deficit and briefly seized control in the second half, but cold shooting from the perimeter proved costly in a 65-57 loss to Westosha on Thursday night in Union Grove.
Westosha opened strong, jumping out to a 20-11 advantage before the Broncos answered with an 11-2 run to steady themselves. The rest of the first half swung back and forth, but Union Grove went into the locker room trailing 33-28 at halftime despite creating a number of quality looks and extra possessions.
Union Grove’s defensive intensity set the tone after the break. The Broncos increased their ball pressure, mixing in half-court traps and three-quarter-court pressure that disrupted Westosha’s rhythm. The pressure generated turnovers and transition opportunities, helping Union Grove turn defense into offense and eventually take its largest lead at 43-39 with about 12 minutes remaining.
Westosha responded with what proved to be the decisive run of the night, stringing together a 10-0 surge over the next five minutes to reclaim momentum. Union Grove continued to compete down the stretch, trimming the margin to a one-possession game multiple times in the final minutes, but was unable to come up with the final shots needed to overtake Westosha.
Senior guard Griffin Schultz led the Broncos with an all-around performance, finishing with 27 points, six rebounds and four steals. Schultz’s scoring kept Union Grove within striking distance during Westosha’s early surge and again in the second half as the Broncos tried to rally. Griffin became the Broncos all time leading scorer surpassing former Broncos Jack Pettit & Jason Morgan who were both in attendance for the game. He finished the night with 1,194 career points.
Forward Tyler Johnson added 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists, providing a strong presence on the glass and as a facilitator in the half court.
Union Grove’s effort on the offensive boards was a bright spot, as the Broncos collected 16 offensive rebounds and outshot Westosha by 23 total field-goal attempts. However, the volume did not translate into efficiency. Union Grove shot 36% from the field and struggled significantly from beyond the arc, finishing just 4 of 34 on 3-point attempts. Many of those looks came off kickouts, inside-out actions or second-chance opportunities, but the Broncos were unable to convert enough of them to erase the deficit.
Despite the loss, Union Grove’s defensive pressure and rebounding production offered encouraging signs, particularly the ability to generate turnovers and extra possessions against a quality opponent. If the Broncos can pair that energy and shot creation with improved perimeter efficiency, they will be positioned to turn similar games into wins as the season progresses.
